Newsroom
Here you can find the Optocycle blog as well as the most exciting news from the press.
OPTOCYCLE IN THE PRESS
01/06/2026
Technical article in Water and Waste
AI-based optical classification of mineral masses and soils in the field: construction waste and soils show high recycling rates of 90%. Due to the regulatory framework, large quantities are lost as low-grade materials, which could otherwise be reused in a resource-efficient, high-quality manner. Optical systems in the field can provide quality assurance and validation to continuously keep these materials available for the circular economy in construction.
02/02/2026
VDI News
Artificial intelligence cameras instantly detect which valuable materials are contained in old building rubble and can be recycled, as a trip to a recycling centre in Stuttgart shows. There, the companies Optocycle and Feess are using automation to improve material purity.
23/01/2026
EUWID
The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) is funding the Tübingen-based startup Optocycle with around €170,000. The funds are to be used to develop a prototype that enables AI-based real-time monitoring of recycled aggregates from construction waste. The aim is to automate and make reproducible the quality control in the production of recycled granules.
29/11/2024
Forbes 30 Under 30 list
As the founder and CEO of Optocycle, Max-Frederick Gerken is committed to a sustainable vision: transforming construction waste into reusable building materials. Using optical sensor technology and AI, Optocycle has established itself in the construction and recycling industry since 2022. The company aims to drive the circular economy forward by recycling mineral construction waste efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner.
05/08/2024
Süddeutsche Zeitung
Nowhere is there as much waste as in construction. Yet at the recycling centres, they don't know what is arriving either – and overlook a lot of what they could recover. A Tübingen-based start-up wants to change that.
01/07/2024
Construction Today
The company Optocycle has won the main prize of the VR-InnovationsPreis Mittelstand, which is worth 20,000 euros. This makes the start-up from Tübingen, founded in 2022, one of the youngest prize winners in this category. It convinced the jury with the high level of innovation of its technology, which uses artificial intelligence to make the recycling of construction waste more efficient.
28/02/2024
Stuttgarter Nachrichten
An innovative medium-sized company from Kirchheim unter Teck and a start-up in Tübingen are perfecting the recycling of construction waste using Artificial Intelligence. The potential is huge.
01/02/2024
BrandEins Magazine
Construction waste is a valuable resource. But recycling it is a tedious process. The start-up Optocycle now wants to automate this process.
